Strength Beyond the Gym: Marriage, Mindset, & Muscles with Coach Matt Fraze

In this episode of the Awaken Your Ego Podcast, we sit down with fitness expert and CSUS Weight Lifting Coach Matt Fraze to explore what it means to build real strength—physically, mentally, and emotionally—as you age. Matt shares wisdom on lifting with longevity in mind, how to train smart (not just hard), and why sustainable fitness is about building habits, not hype.

But this conversation goes far beyond the gym. We dive into the evolving dynamics of marriage and parenting as you grow older, and how staying strong also means facing your shadows, staying accountable, and doing the inner work. Because the journey of self-development doesn’t stop—it just deepens.

Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or redefining what strength looks like in this season of life, this episode is an honest and empowering reminder that growth—inside and out—is always possible.

Tune in to be inspired to lift more than just weights.

Matthew Fraze is a Full-time Lecturer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach
and an Olympic Weightlifting Coach working with students preparing for fields
related to Exercise Science and Physical Education. He teaches classes in Strength & Conditioning, Physical Fitness and Outdoor Education for the Department of
Kinesiology at California State University, Stanislaus. In addition to teaching at CSU Stanislaus, Coach Fraze is the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Women’s
Soccer Team at San Joaquin Delta Junior College. Previously, Coach Fraze became
the first Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for CSU Stanislaus (and the second Head Coach in California at the DII Level). Coach Fraze and trained the teams for the CSU Athletic Department from 2005 to 2016.

Coach Fraze earned his B.A. degree in Physical Education from CSU Stanislaus and a M.S. degree in Strength and Conditioning from CSU Sacramento, where he served as Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Hornets Athletics Department. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Coach Fraze is married to Cindy Fraze a manages and runs her own real estate
business. They have three beautiful daughters together. On his own time Coach Fraze coaches weightlifting, where he’s helped students compete at national levels. Additionally, he is an avid outdoorsman. Has worked with different young men’s and women’s groups teaching and leading outdoor adventures. He has planned and organized youth base camps in the mountains of California. Personally, he spends his summers and parts of the winter hiking in the Sierra's.

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